Samsung Galaxy S5 could be designated as "medical equipment" in Korea

One of the new features introduced with the Samsung Galaxy S5 is a built-in Heart Rate Sensor. This lets you measure your heart rate just by placing your finger on the back of the handset, next to the camera’s LED flash where the sensor is found.

The new feature allegedly determined South Korea's health agency to review the S5 in order to determine if it can be designated as “medical equipment.” According to Yonhap News, Samsung will be able to launch the S5 as scheduled regardless of the review’s results.

"Even if it is designated as a medical device, the procedure for testing its safety and functions is not complicated," said an official from South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

We’re not trying to make fun or anything like that, but, in all seriousness, that image comparing the gold Galaxy S5 to a band-aid makes more sense now, knowing that the handset could be recognized as medical equipment (to remind you, the image was retweeted by HTC America’s CEO a few days ago).

Announced earlier this week at MWC 2014, the Galaxy S5 is the world’s first smartphone to have a built-in heart rate monitor. Want to see how this feature works? Check out our video here.

Samsung will start selling the new Galaxy on April 11, and it plans to offer it in 150 countries around the world, including in the US, where all major carriers are going to stock it. Although it’s one of the most anticipated smartphones of 2014, it looks like most of our readers don’t really like the Galaxy S5 - probably because we were all expecting it to bring something a bit more exciting (both design-wise, and specs-wise).

I didn't start nothing. I simply made my statement based on the activity on the site from the past three days. Every Samsung article has over 70+ comments, and there's 164 articles so far about the S5 according to PA. It's safe to say people like you were bound to land here, and I was correct now was I kiddo?

Oh trust me, I know. These past three days repeat twice a year. Galaxy S model unveilings, and new iPhone releases. Look back last year to the S4 and the iPhone 5S announcements. The bandwagon grows each day sad to say.

Yeah papa, don't waste yr time. The S5 looks gorgeous and is full of neat features that everyone likes and wants. Oh and that heart monitor...my God I always want one. And the bandaid jokes are just mean and nasty, to me the S5 by far the best looking phone out there. Total original and never seen before. But anyway yr doing a good job papa, please... keep defending this absolute piece of awesomeness and I'm sure the holy mother sammy will reward u.
I'll make sure to tell sammy how good you did.

Do you know why the band-aid joke is all over the place now? Because the S5 looks just like a band-aid, you gotta accept it. Trust me, if the S5 didn't look like this, no one will make a joke like that, even if there is, that person is just an immature attention seeker. So, blame Samsung's designer for making this "beautiful" and "creative" design.

"Go back to school and stop being so thirsty for thumbs up kid."

Using back your old style senseless comment eh? How is school related to thumbs up? It's pretty funny that when you go mad, you're like crying. If I'm really "thirsty" for thumbs up, would I be giving credit to Samsung for making their UI look cleaner and better?

Lol this is the most hypocritical comment I've seen in the past couple of days. Playing the "I'm not biased or a troll" card because we all know Maury has proved that was a lie. Give credit to that, troll.

Clearly I've accepted it if I admitted it was the best joke, and this where education plays a role. If you would learn how to read, you'd know that. You missed my point - TWICE. To answer your question, yes you are thirsty for those green thumbs with comments like #16 and #7. I have yet seen you make a positive comment in the past three days. It doesn't affect me and I don't care if it's negative, but don't try to cover your trolling history with a made up lie. Last time I recalled! it's a UI designed for children, so why aren't you intrigued by it?

Okay, I admit I read it wrong, my apologies for not reading it properly. But you still can't prove that I'm thirsty for thumbs up on comment #7, you said the title is a bait title, but how is it a bait title? You didn't even elaborate it clearly.

About the positive comment, do I need to make my comment look like an OBVIOUSLY positive comment? Yes, I admit that I did kinda troll in the past, but that doesn't mean that I didn't change. I did change for a long time now, you didn't notice because you still think I'm trolling. This pretty explains your personality, only remember a person's bad history.

About the UI, you said it's a UI designed for children, and why I'm not intrigued by it? That's because you have your own opinion and I have my own opinion. This is a simple thing that we humans should know.

Oh, trust me, Smurf, I know. I've frequented this site for about 3 years now, and he has always been that way. He tries to "mask" his trolling, but doesn't do a very good job at it. I guess kids get excited when they see the green thumb, or whatever.

He is just a hell of an annoying hypocrite. He goes all over Apple, Samsung, HTC, and every other OEM's article hating on their products except for Sony's, and then at the end of the day plays the innocent card and claims he isn't a troll and he is a true tech guy.

LOL...I saw that before you and I knew you will post this kind of comment, but you failed.

Yes, he's been here since 2012...but with a newbie attitude, he went off topic by dragging those manufacturers here, of course you will agree with his dumb newbie statement because you're just as dumb as him. LMAO...you guys are funny.

Not only are you a bad troll, but you're a bad liar as well. You obviously can't read, yet have the nerve to call me dumb lol. It's funny how you hate it when the card isn't in your favor yet two days ago you seemed to have a ball and agree with others on comments about me. Funny how that works. Sounds hypocritical, does it not?

while i know smurf is a fanboy of samsung and often bashes other manufacturer while praise whatever samsung did, most of your arguments are flawed, if you dont wanna get flamed please read before you post.

If I can't handle it, I would've close my account in PA, but I didn't. I can see the amount of hates I got, but I don't really care. I'm just being myself as a tech lover and a consumer. I come to PA is to see the latest news about tech and reviews, because I love tech. I can see that this site isn't the site that was used to be good when I first came here, this site is getting worse because of the fanboy hates, bashing, insulting etc. in the comment section.

We all have ignorance sometimes, but we all can fix it though, just like Sony fixed all the flaws on the Xperia Z1 and now they came up with the Xperia Z2 (probably doesn't make any sense but you get what I mean).

" PA was better before you got here in all honesty"
Said no one ever, except you.

"4562 comments in 11 months full of troll, hate, and ignorant comments.. That's a lot"
Full of troll, hate, and ignorant comments? That's a lie.

"Let's not forget the fanboy hate, bashing, insulting, etc. that you just did these past four days."
Let's not forget the fanboy hate, bashing, insulting, etc. that you did most of the times on Sony articles.

"You should consider closing your account and do us all a favor btw."
Don't represent everyone here if you're the one who's making this favor. Can you get more dumber? Sorry, I won't close my account, because it's MY account. Stubborn PapaSmurf.

How does it feel to be one of the biggest trolls on the site? Your actions speak a lot louder than your words I hope you know that. So you basically admitted to hate, bashing, insulting, etc. these past few days, and yet you said you're a changed person? Lol caught you in your own lie. If I recall, aren't you always in Samsung and Apple articles trolling and posting nonsense? I gave Sony props and still do with so many things. You? Nope. Feeling the heat. I have a feeling you'll be closing your account soon.

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